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Insect repellent compositionsInsect repellent compositions description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080280978, Insect repellent compositions. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention describes an insect repellent composition. Biting insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, horse flies, the common housefly and the like carry a variety of diseases, for example malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus, Borreliosis (lyme disease) and tick-borne encephalitis. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, one person is killed by complications arising from these diseases approximately every thirty seconds globally. Indeed, one death in seventeen in the world is purportedly caused by a mosquito bite. Malaria alone is responsible for approximately three million deaths every year. Mosquitoes transmit the arboviruses responsible for yellow fever, dengue, hemorrhagic fever, epidemic polyarthritis, and several forms of encephalitis. Bancroftian filariasis is caused by a nematode transmitted by mosquito bite. Protection from biting by insects has the advantage of providing protection against a variety of different insects, and hence protection from transfer of disease. The application of natural, strong-smelling natural substances to the human skin in order to repel mosquitoes and other biting insects dates back to ancient Egypt. There are also references to the use of substances such as camphor, cypress, galbanum, lupin and cinnamon as insect repellents in ancient Roman literature. The use of insect repellents is now the method of choice amongst consumers to protect themselves from the dangers of insect bites. As a result, insect repellent products have developed into an important sector of the consumer health market—not only because they are effective, but also because they are affordable. The main disadvantages of such products, however, are that they often only provide protection for limited time periods, requiring repeated application, and that active compounds, despite the use of fragrance materials, are often irritating to individuals. Alternative methods of protection, such as vaccination and preventative medication, while highly effective in specific cases, are costly and are also only specific to any one type of disease. All modern repellent products contain an active ingredient, one or more solvents and in most cases, a fragrance material to mask the unpleasant smell of the active compound. After application to the skin or other surfaces such as clothes and walls, the solvents in the repellent evaporate, leaving a protective layer that interferes with the normal “scent” of the body. The repellent is effective for only as long as it takes for the active compound in the repellent to evaporate or to be removed by other mechanisms such as washing and sweating. Most active compounds in insect repellents are high-boiling liquid compounds with boiling points above 150° C. Since its first appearance in consumer products, following its discovery during the Second World War, N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET) (formerly known as N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) has been regarded as the most effective compound to use in topical insect repellent formulations. Depending on the concentration at which it is applied, it can provide between 2 and 8 hours of protection against mosquitoes, flies and ticks. However, despite its effectiveness, DEET suffers from a number of disadvantages, namely: It has a high potential to irritate eyes and mucous membranes. It has a sticky, greasy skin feel and a strong, long-lasting odour which lead to instinctive rejection of these products by many consumers. DEET-containing products are not recommended for continuous use, or for use on infant skin, being suspected of causing medical conditions such as meningitis. DEET has a strong solvent and plasticiser effect on many plastic items and lacquered surfaces and can cause severe damage to items such as spectacles, watches and synthetic materials used in clothing or accessories. Alternative, non-DEET repellents can be divided into two groups, i.e. chemical (synthetic) and natural (plant derived). The main synthetic active compounds are dimethyl phthalate (and derivatives thereof) and 1-piperidinecarboxylic acid, 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-, 1-methylpropylester. The first of these compounds, while still being found in some insect repellent products, is a suspected carcinogen and may be mutagenic. The second compound, also known as Bayrepel™, is a relatively new active compound and compares well with DEET in terms of effectiveness, but suffers fewer disadvantages. It is only found in Autan™ products by Bayer. Natural products most commonly used include citronella oil and soybean-oil. Since these “actives” are natural, they are believed to be safer than synthetic active compounds, but their widespread use and lack of quality control in many such products may negate this advantage. Furthermore, some of the formulated products containing these natural materials that have been tested under rigorous laboratory conditions have shown that claims of their effectiveness are severely overrated. In most cases, such products:
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